10 ways to get bigger pecs – fast!

Pec troubles? You’re not alone. One of the most common muscles worked in the gym is also subject to most of your weightlifting woes. If you’re struggling to stick more iron on the bar, don’t fret: we’ve got ten top tips and lifting lifehacks to make sure you get the most out of your moobs.

1. Stretch the pec.

If you’re battling with the bar, divide and conquer by using the dumbbell press instead. “Once you bring the dumbbell down, you’re able to stretch the pec in a way that you’re unable to get on a bar” says pro PT Henry Ives. It makes sense, as separate weights allow your chest to expand beyond the bar. “Dumbbells can push the pectoral further and help you contract at the top of the movement.”

2. Build your foundation

Your bench may be failing because the pushing motion is actually dependent on the triceps, not the chest. “Once the tricep is strong, the chest can come into play,” says Ives. “Triceps are always going to dominate pushing motions, so it’s essential to develop these properly.” Ives recommendsneutral-grip dumbbell presses to turbo-charge those tris.

3. Underhanded tactics

When you get back on the bench, adopt an underarm grip to hit the elusive upper pec. The Journal for Strength and Conditioning Research states that this simple change recruits 30% more muscles to the cause of getting that bar up. Cheat your way to a bigger chest.

4. Inclined to succeed

Tight for time? Aimless flat-bench repping is for chumps. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that although the biggest muscles in your chest are no more active on a flat bench than an incline, the exercise recruited far more muscle groups if you’re tilted at 45%. Do a mix of incline and flat-bench work to target all your chest muscles simultaneously. 30 minutes for a perfect pec-pump.

5. Flying ‘V’

Need more stress on the pectorals? Flys are the way to go, as they remove the tricep-dominated pushing motion from the process. “During the fly, rotate your hands so that the dumbbells form a ‘v’ shape,” says Ives. This contracts the pecs even further, ensuring bigger t-shirts are just a few weeks away.

6. Squeeze to please

While this contracting motion can be achieved with flys, to use it on the bench press will require harder work. “Squeeze the bar as hard as you can,” says JDP Fitness’ Jason Patmore. “You want to try and snap the bar in two!” Little tricks to keep the pressure on, like imagining a pencil being squeezed between your pecs, will encourage you to focus on the right muscles and carve your concave chest into a masterpiece.

7. Dead stop

We don’t mean switch to back day. The humble pushup is so commonplace that few lifters learn how to do it right. But one minute’s set of the dead-stop press up – letting go of the floor momentarily when your chest makes contact – will wind the cockiest of cardio-bunnies. Three sets of one minute with a minute in between each one wil work your core, shoulders, tris and yes, your chest.

8. Drop it like it’s hot

“I like to alternate every heavy set with a drop-set,” Ives tells us. A drop set is when you immediately switch to a lighter weight and work until failure. It’s a guaranteed muscle-fueller for when heavy lifts like the bench have you on the ropes. “You don’t need to decelerate as hard with a lighter weight,” says Ives, “so you’re able to get that contraction at the top of the movement.” Works a treat.

9. Round of applause

Looking for explosive power in your chest? Give yourself a clap. The clap press-up is your backstage pass to dense, fast-twitch muscle fibres in your chest and shoulders. Use sparingly though. “Because it looks sexy and cool, lots of people want to do these for as many reps as possible,"PT Rogan Allporttells us, "but it's designed to be performed with maximum force, which means less total reps." Use a set of 10 as a chest-day finisher if you’re really a masochist.

10. We have to decline

Just as the incline is important to a well-rounded pec, so too is the decline bench press. This awkward-feeling position removes any desire to arch your back as you push. You might think your form is perfect, but in the final reps you can be tempted to trade form for brute force as you struggle to heft the bar skywards. Switch the last set for two sets on a decline bench and remove some weight – it’ll ease the pressure and make sure your form is perfect to boot.

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